The 78th-annual Bengal Bouts boxing tournament began Tuesday with 91 fights between fighters of 13 weight classes.
130-pound division
Jack Dillon def Daniel Brannon In the night's opening bout, Dillon won a close fight that wasn't decided until the final round. Neither fighter established a definitive advantage until Dillon landed a couple of combos early in the third, earning him a unanimous victory.
Matt Conti def. Joe Camarda Conti was able to knock Camarda down twice in the first round, causing the referee to stop the fight about a minute in. Conti came out aggressively, knocking Camarda down 30 seconds in before landing the blow that ended the bout.
Sean McNichols def. Michael Perez McNichols got off to a quick start and then outlasted Perez, as endurance wasn't a concern for the junior - who is also a marathon runner. McNichols landed his punches with a greater frequency as the fight wore on, and he eventually proved too much for Perez.
Andrew Mok def. Andrew Crecelius Both boxers came out swinging from the get-go, with neither fighter allowing the other to dance away in the first minute. The pace slowed considerably from there as each got winded and settled down. Mok took advantage of Crecelius' over-aggressiveness, winning the fight by unanimous decision.
Matt Dobleman def. Daniel Rotar The match started out close but Rotar tired quickly and Dobleman took over. He eventually threw a flurry of punches, which gave Rotar a bloody nose. Dobleman was given the victory when the referee suspended the match.
Patrick W. O'Brien def. Nicholas Abercrombie At the close of the first round, O'Brien took control of the match with a couple of solid punches. The second round brought much of the same, with O'Brien throwing a punishing blow at the end of the round. O'Brien's size advantage was evident throughout the match and he scored a knockout in the middle of the third round.
Christopher Schiraldi def. Nathan Serazin In the first upset of the night, Schiraldi beat the favored Serazin by unanimous decision. Schiraldi came out with a strong first round against the highly-seeded Serazin. The second round was little bit closer, but it was clear that Shiraldi was still in control, getting the bigger punches in despite sustaining a bloody nose toward end the round. Serzazin made a comeback attempt in the final round, but it was not enough.
138-pound division
Mike Howard def. John Thomson In the weight class' opening bout, Howard dominated early in the first round. By the end of the first, though, Thomson made it interesting with a series of jabs. Thomson was able to avoid Howard's big punches in the second round, but Howard outlasted Thomson in the third to win by split decision.
Bobby Powers def. James Woods III The fight opened up with a bang as both fighters threw huge punches quickly after the opening bell. The second round was stopped as Woods suffered a bloody nose, which persisted and became a major factor as the fight went on. Powers' ability to land thundering punches at Woods' already weakened nose won him the fight, which was ended by the referee in the middle of the third round.
John Biddle def. Nicholas BockIn the first round, Bock threw a punishing body shot to Biddle, who came back with a hard shot to Bock's face. In the middle of the second round, Biddle had Bock on the run, and the referee stopped the match for a standing eight-count. The count did not derail Biddle, who continued his strong round. Bock seemingly used all of his energy in the first round as Biddle kept control in the third round before the referee stopped the match and gave Biddle the win.
Chris Hartstein def. Chris Borchers Hartstrien came out with a series of punches that knocked Borchers back and led to a quick decision with Hartstein winning before the first round was even over. It was one of the most dominating performances of the night in either ring.
Chris Cugliari def. Kevin O'Brien Both fighters came out aggressively, but Cugliari eventually landed several combos to the face that O'Brien couldn't block. Cugliari's quickness proved to be the difference in his win by unanimous decision.
Michael Johnston def. Thomas Blanchette Blanchette resorted to grabbing Johnston whenever he could and was able to land several shots at Johnston's body before pinning him in the corner early in the third round. Johnston reestablished the momentum he held early, going on to win by unanimous decision.
Will Marra def. Soeren Palumbo The more experienced Marra used a bevy of uppercuts to knock out Palumbo, who, like most of the young fighters participating in the Bouts, had never been exposed to punches like the ones the senior threw at him early and often. Palumbo was forced to go on the defensive from the opening bell - and Marra took advantage, forcing the referee to stop the fight in the first round.
Brian Heath def. Anthony Dayrit Despite Dayritt's late combos near the end of the closing round, Heath's early advantage in the back-and-forth contest proved too much, as the judges named the sophomore the victor by unanimous decision.146-pound division
Thomas Schanzer def. Andy ZiccarelliIn a bout that pitted a pair of Dillon Hall residents against each other, Schanazer established control early by putting the freshman on the defensive. Schanazer's reach was helpful in the second round when he got a couple of hard punches in on Ziccarelli to close out the round. Ziccarelli tried to make a comeback in the last round, but it was just not enough as Schanazer's size advantage gave him a unanimous victory.
Mark Costanzo def. Andrew Balhoff The first two rounds were pretty close as both fighters landed some solid punches. Costanzo took control early in the third round but Barhff was able to make a comeback later in the round. But it was too little too late, and Costanzo was given the victory by unanimous decision.
Matthew Ireton def. Stephen Mattingly Ireton came out hitting early and often, dominating the first round and putting Mattingly on the defensive. The second round was no different, with Ireton getting a couple huge body shots in on Mattingly, who was unable to use his long reach to his advantage. Ireton won the match by unanimous decision.
Mark Weber def. Sean Pennino Weber showed why he's a junior captain, using his reach advantage to control the pace of the fight and force the officials to stop it in the second round. Pennino simply couldn't establish any momentum as Weber dictated the tempo by landing several big blows to the freshman's face and body.
Shawn McNeilly def. John Fullard In a fight narrowly decided by split decision, McNeilly edged Fullard on the strength of a dominating third round. McNeilly got more aggressive as the fight wore on, and Fullard's ability to block his opponent's attack eventually deteriorated.
Tim Thayer def. Ryan McCargar Thayer, who held a generous height advantage, crushed McCargar as the fight was stopped midway through the first round. Thayer's reach was too much for the freshman, who couldn't block an array of jabs and hooks.
Eric Arevalo def. Michael Bruns In a fight that was stopped several times, Arevalo used an aggressive approach to top Bruns by unanimous decision. Both fighters needed assistance at some point during the fight, but Arevalo prevailed, outlasting his opponent despite the ailments.
149-pound division
Paul "The Punisher" Mower def. Brian "G-Loves" NelbSenior Paul Mower came out strong in first round, connecting on several combinations. Round two saw an early comeback from sophomore Brian Nelb before Mower was able to retake command of the fight. The third round saw a furious frenzy from Nelb that was stopped by the sound technique and retaliation of Mower. The judges awarded Mower the win by unanimous decision.
Matt "Mullet" Posluszny def. Ryan "The Lion" Carey The first round was mostly a dance with both fighters sizing each other up. Junior Posluszny's size and height advantage over Carey was key, allowing him to connect on numerous combinations, while keeping Carey at a distance too far to retaliate. Posluszny came away with a unanimous decision over the freshman Carey.
Bert Fitzgerald def. Nick "Gary" SeverynThe first round started out with even competition as both fighters exchanged jabs. The second round featured furious fighting with each boxer trying to find a weakness in the other's defense. Although Severyn connected on several combinations to the head in the third round, the graduate student Fitzgerald was able to secure the victory by split decision.
Lawrence Sullivan def. Marty Sandberg Sandberg came out swinging, but the more patient Sullivan seemed to land nearly every punch he threw, especially in the early going. Sullivan showed his versatility by throwing punches from each side and every angle and his strength by pinning Sandberg against the ropes in all three rounds to win by unanimous decision.
Brian Koepsel def. James Heilbron Koepsel knocked out Heilbron early in the first round. Koepsel's long reach connected, and Heilbron fell down and was unable to get himself back up to fight.
Daniel Iwanski def. Tomas CastilloCastillo, a junior, defeated freshman Iwanski by unanimous decision. The first two rounds were close, as the two traded blows with no decisive hits. However, Castillo came out strong in the third round, attacking at a ferocious speed.
Kristopher "El Azteca" Perez def. Marco RosalesPerez, a junior and two-time defending champion, defeated freshman Rosales in a close match. The first round was even, but Perez came out strong in the second round, on his way to what looked like an easy victory. Rosales put up more of a fight in the third round, but his effort was not enough.
155-pound division
Dillon "Irish Car Bomb" Bailey def. Tim "Business Socks" HronickDillon Bailey, a freshman, connected on several punishing blows to fellow freshman Hronick's head. Hronick rallied to make it a fight in the second round. Hronick took a lot of punishment in the third round and showed his heart, but Bailey came away with the unanimous victory.
Luciano Lara def. John "My Body is a Wonderland" MaierLara, a senior, didn't let his size disadvantage slow him down, coming right at Maier. There was not much contact in round two, with both fighters feeling each other out for weaknesses. Maier, a sophomore, came alive in the third, finally taking advantage of his height advantage over Lara, but it would not be enough to defeat the scrappy Lara, who won by split decision.
Mark "Senor Marco" Bennett def. Hamilton MarxThere was heavy action right off the bat, as both fighters sought to overwhelm each other early. The senior Bennett knocked down Marx with a ferocious right hook in the second round, almost knocking him out of the ring. Marx, a senior, fell for a second time later in the round, causing the referee to stop the fight.
Pat "My Room is a 24-hour Space" O'Brien def. Michael "Wu Shack" WuBoth fighters traded numerous body shots to start the first round. O'Brien, a senior, took control in the second round with repeated left-right combinations. The freshman Wu continued to back away, trying to keep in the fight. In the third round Wu took some serious punishment when O'Brien poure on the pressure. O'Brien was awarded the fight by unanimous decision
161-pound division
Joe "The Roman Catholic" Church def. Colin "Oscar" MeyerChurch connected with several big punches early against Meyer, nearly knocking him down. Meyer kept pace with Church, but Church was able to keep the pressure on, probing for weaknesses in Meyer's defense. The third round brought much of the same, with both fighters blocking the other's attacks, but Church struck more often than Meyer. Church received the nod from the judges by unanimous decision.
Jason Miller def. Kevin "Just One More" GoodwinMiller took advantage of his size, keeping Goodwin at a distance and connecting on several combinations. Goodwin couldn't get up to Miller's height, as Miller gradually wore him down. Goodwin made a spirited attack in the final round backing Miller down, but it was just not enough as Miller continued to assert himself. Miller won by unanimous decision.
Nick "The Ponz" Ponzio def. Jack "The Ripper" PetersonIn the first round Ponzio came right at Peterson, but Peterson made him pay the price for closing the distance. Ponzio was able to get some valuable blows in and back Peterson up to the ropes. The fighters settled in after two rounds, answering combination for combination. Peterson began to use his size advantage in the third round, but Ponzio kept up the pressure in an inspired effort. Ponzio edged out Peterson in a split decision.
Ryan "Seoul-Man" Smith def. David LandrySmith came right at Landry at the start of the fight, backing him across the ring. Landry looked lost as Smith landed blow after blow. The punishment continued in the third round, with Smith scoring a knockdown of Landry, causing the referee to call the fight.
166-pound division
Scott Whalen def. Nick "Jackhammer of Truth" ZehrbachWhalen, a freshman, took advantage of his height early, knocking the senior Zehrbach down twice in the first round. The second round saw continued dominance from Whalen, as Zehrbach was forced to defend most of the round. Whalen continued to control the pace until the end, earning a unanimous victory.
Bryan Grissinger def. David CrayGrissinger dictated the tempo of the bout by displaying a loose, confident swagger. Cray didn't back down, though, doing most of his damage in the second half of each round. Grissinger finally took a decided advantage by bloodying Cray's nose early in the third and then putting the fight away following a brief stoppage.
Charlie Gough def. Rob GallicGough literally blew Gallic out of the ring in this fight, knocking him down and through the ropes early in the second round. Gallic landed several punches early in the first, but once Gough gained an advantage, he didn't relinquish it as the fight ended early by TKO.
Nazur Ahmed def. John TierneyThe contrast in styles was immediately evident, as Tierney stood straight up and looked for headshots while Ahmed's strategy was to stay lower than his taller opponent. The latter approach prevailed, and Ahmed dominated the final two rounds en route to victory by unanimous decision.
170-pound division
Mike Doran def. John SoltisDoran displayed perhaps more emotion than any other fighter on the night, jumping out of his corner before every round, engaging the crowd and otherwise giving off an air of confidence unmatched during the preliminary rounds. In a split decision that truly went down to the wire - an advantage wasn't clearly established until the final round, when Doran laid into the junior Soltis against the ropes before Soltis could only hold on for dear life - Doran, a freshman was able to advance.
Drew Whiting def. Brendan CollinsThe sophomore Collins used a distinct height advantage to take an early lead, out-punching Whiting, a senior, nearly three to one throughout the first round. Whiting, his face covered in blood, wouldn't let his smaller stature hold him back, unloading several hooks that eventually gave him the momentum he needed to win by split decision. The fight appeared to be a deadlock after two rounds, but Whiting outlasted Collins, forcing him into the corner repeatedly in the final minute and winning the third round decisively because of his ability to land a series of jab-hook combos.
Christopher Jordan def. Charles CossellThe senior Jordan's experience proved too much for Cossell, a sophomore, who was knocked down near the end of the first round. The officials stopped the fight after one round.
Eric Jones def. Matt Paletta Jones, a junior, knocked down Palletta, a sophomore, who appeared to tweak something in his lower body. The officials were forced the stop the fight early in the first round.
Ben O'Brien def. Andrew Renz O'Brien defeated Renz by unanimous decision to advance to the quarterfinals. Renz came out aggressively in each round, but O'Brien mai tained his composure and leveled several series of jabs against his opponent. Renz got in some good body shots, but ended the fight bloodied and beaten.
Mike Cimino def. Scott JarvieCimino, a senior, held off a late charge to beat freshman Jarvie by a split decision.Jarvie came out with fists flying, getting in strong jabs in the first round, but Cimino blocked well and countered with some good series of his own. Both fighters tired late in the fight, and Jarvie got Cimino against the ropes late in the third round. Unfortunately for Jarvie, though, the comeback was too little, too late.
Matt Gimlett def. Vincent Keneally Gimlett easily defeated Keneally by a unanimous decision.The fight started off with a quick pace, and Keneally appeared to tire late. By the end of second round, Gimlett was chasing Keneally around the ring, landing punch after punch to wear down his opponent.
Bernardo Garcia def. Patrick Martin Garcia, a freshman, won over Martin, a junior, by unanimous decision. Martin had trouble protecting himself throughout the fight, and Garcia took advantage. Martin was able to land a few good series on the freshman, but a solid consistent jab allowed Garcia to advance to the quarterfinals with relative ease.
176-pound division
Mike Lee def. James HassanThe fight went down to the wire, but Lee landed a good combination of body shots and jabs in the final round to take the fight. Both fighters adapted a somewhat defensive style early on, with each getting in a few good, calculated shots. Lee took control in the final round, though, and advanced to the next round by unanimous decision.
Pat Jackson def.Jonathan ParryPat Jackson didn't tire and managed to beat junior Jonathan Parry by unanimous decision. The fight was close for all three rounds, but Jackson was able to get in more consistent punches throughout the match. He put the nail in Parry's coffin in the third round, when he backed the junior against the ropes and landed a flurry of jabs and body shots.
Dominic Golab def. Richard Paulius In a fight that was fast-paced from start to finish, Golab defeated Paulius by unanimous decision. Both fighters came out flying, and neither seemed to tire as the bout wore on. The intensity ramped up at the end of the second round when both fighters continued to throw punches after the bell sounded. Golab proceeded to take control in the final round, landing several shots to his opponent's head and leaving him bloodied.
Mike Delach def. Ken ShamrellDelach, a freshman, outlasted a tough contest from Shamrell to win by unanimous decision. Both fighters did a lot more punching than defending and with the fight close all the way through, both came out swinging in the third round. Delach was able to land a series of solid body shots and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Josh Von Schaumburg def. Daniel GleesGlees came out more aggressive than Von Schaumburg, who may have focused on blocking Glees' attack instead of mounting his own in the first round. After getting knocked down in the first, Von Schaumburg turned the tide in the second, connecting on several jabs to the body and hooks to the face that knocked down Glees, a junior, in the second. It was more of the same in the third, as Von Schaumburg dominated the last two rounds en route to a victory by unanimous decision.
Matthew Belton def. Gavin PaynePayne, a junior, dominated the first half of the opening round, immediately backing Belton into the corner and keeping him there long enough to land near a dozen solid jabs. Once Belton got out, though, it was a different story as he mixed in a few uppercuts to go along with an impressive arsenal of hooks and jabs. The start of the third looked much like the fight's beginning, with Payne able to get Belton in the corner once again. But once again, the senior Belton escaped and regained control, winning the fight by unanimous decision.
Jordan Smith def. Pat AllareSmith was able to corner Allare several times, giving him plenty of opportunities to rack up the punches and points that gave him the victory by a unanimous decision. Allare mounted a substantial comeback in the final round by landing three or four uppercuts, but Smith's recovery ensured him the win.Andres Villalba def. Barry ClarkLike many of the night's successful fighters, Villalba established himself by immediately controlling the tempo and putting his opponent on the defensive. Clark had to focus on blocking Villalba's repertoire of hooks and jabs - so much so that he could hardly fight back during Villalba's unanimous victory.
189-pound division
John Tchoula def. Bobby HicksTchoula dominated this fight from start to finish - which was ended midway through the first round. He was simply too tall, strong, quick and aggressive for Hicks.
Kevin Carrier def. Daniel McDonaldCarrier charged at McDonald before the opening bell even finished ringing, immediately taking his opponent into the corner with a series of jabs before attempting several uppercuts. McDonald hardly had the opportunity to mount an attack of his own until the second round, but by then, Carrier had pulled too far ahead, guaranteeing him the unanimous decision.
Andrew Mrugala def. Kyle KownackiDespite being just a freshman, Mrugala came out showing no hesitation - the opening bell had to be re-sounded because he came out of the gate so quickly. A knockdown in the second round and a bevy of body shots in the third ensured Mrugala the unanimous victory over the senior Kownacki.
Xavier Burton def. Matthew Gray Both fighters kept up the intensity for all three rounds, but Burton outlasted Gray, landing a consistent series of jabs in the first two rounds. Gray attempted to storm back in the third, but Burton fended off the attack, and effectively countered with his own flurry of punches. Burton won by unanimous decision.
Chris Hapak def. Thomas Smith Hapak dominated Smith and beat the freshman by unanimous decision. Hapak was relentless, beating up on Smith from the moment the bell sounded. The freshman was unable to defend himself as he faced a barrage of jabs and swings. Smith improved as the fight went on but just couldn't stand up to the law student's onslaught.
Thomas Haan def.Ryan Landsberg Haan took control in the second half of the fight, and defeated Ryan Landsberg by unanimous decision. Both fighters started off with a very defensive style, with each getting in only a few jabs in the first round. Haan landed a series of solid jabs to start of the second round and dominated for the remainder of the round. Haan's supremacy flowed into the final round, and he will advance to the quarterfinals.
Alexander Lough def.Fritz Schoenhut Lough defeated Schoenhut easily, with the referee stopping the fight in the second round.Both fighters came out tentatively, but Lough took control late in the first round, backing Schoenhut into a corner and attacking him with a barrage of jabs and uppercuts. The sophomore continued to rely on a strong uppercut in the second round to put Schoenhut on the defensive and cause the referee to end the fight.
206-pound division
James DiGiacomo def. Wil HendersonDiGiacomo, a sophomore, landed one of the night's most thunderous blows, knocking out the MBA student, Henderson, with a haymaker midway through the first round.
Dex Cure def. Ryan HawleyCure more than made up for in quickness what he lacked in height in this battle of Siegfried residents. The fight was competitive for the first round and a half, but Cure connected on some big shots to knock Hawley off balance and eventually bloody his nose on the way to a unanimous decision.
Brent Coudron def. Reid MahoneyCoudron used his southpaw stance to establish an early advantage and catch the freshman Mahoney off guard, taking it to him for the first 20 seconds. The fight's pace slowed considerably from there, as Coudron, a law student, forced Mahoney to come to him. Each fighter sporadically landed punches in the final two rounds, but Coudron's fast start proved to be enough to earn him a unanimous decision.
Tony Klausing def. Brian O'Connor Klausing defeated O'Connor when the referee stopped the contest in the second round.Klausing chased O'Connor around the ring from the beginning of the fight, at points sprinting after him to level a flurry of punches on the freshman. O'Connor never really appeared to have a chance, as he was unable to land solid punches on Klausing at any point in the fight. Klausing swung his arms wildly, but all his punches found O'Connor's head, and the referee was forced to call the fight.
Heavyweight division
David Stedman def. Daniel Scime In the only heavyweight action of the night, Stedman beat Scime by unanimous decision.Neither appeared to have an advantage early in the fight, but Scime landed a solid jab at the end of the first round to leave Stedman wobbling. Stedman landed several jabs and a strong right uppercut to start off the second round, but Scime countered with a strong left hook. At the end of the round, Scime backed his opponent onto the ropes and used a series of hooks to leave Stedman reeling. Stedman responded in the third round, landing a good series of body shots and uppercuts to take the fight.
